Gothic Bellydance Revelations - Stunning Gothic Style Belly Dance Performances by Talented Artists | Perfect for Dance Enthusiasts, Halloween Parties & Dark-Themed Events

If you're looking for a traditional bellydance performance video or have strong opinions about what is and isn't "gothic" or "bellydance", this video is probably not for you. If you respect creativity and are open to different styles and interpretations of dance no matter what its label, you'll love it. It's a treat for me since although I've heard of most of the dancers, I hadn't seen the majority of them perform. Categories, styles and labels aside, this DVD contains some amazing performances.Two of the performance pieces are mainly theatrical and contain little bellydance. Jeniviva's first piece is more like an introduction to the DVD that includes many, if not all, of the other dancers. Everyone's got masks on so it's hard to tell. You can spot Neon by that blond hair and bangs and there's a clear shot of Blanca. A tattooed arm might be Tempest or Ariellah or a number of others. Jeniviva does all of thirty seconds of actual dancing and we're cheated out of getting a better look at her fabulous costume, but the piece is dark, sexy and very well done. Her second piece is an amazing solo with pure, joyous energy that highlights all of her skills and more than makes up for the first one - if you didn't have your heart set on it being "Gothic." Blanca's (the main reason I bought the DVD - she's one of my favorites) two performances also show both facets and both are mesmerizing in their own ways although they are completely opposite. The more I look at her slow, theatrical piece the more I love it.If I was going to get all nit-picky and choose which piece was true to the DVD title, I'd have to say that it's Laura Rose's. The music and costuming are perfect and she is an amazing bellydancer that I want to see more of. She does an amazing horizontal belly roll that absolutely must be seen and all of her moves are pure belydance incorporating several different styles. She's really gotten creative with Khaleeji movements.Shakra performs a very dark piece that leans more toward the theatrical with some more great bellydance moves than I initially thought. After viewing the trailer for their Shakra's Industrial Strength Dance Workout - Tribal Bellydance, World Fusion I was embarassed that I hadn't realized that some of the movements are based on African and other cultural dances. I am fascinated with their style and want to see more of them. Part of the second half of the performance reminded me of an aerobics class for zombies with its big, energetic and robotic movements and the six inch KISS-style platform boots that make the dancers appear larger than life. They look like they had a lot of fun with this creatively choreographed and perfectly performed piece. As a trio, their moves are perfectly in synch and if there are any mistakes, they're not obvious. I definitely want to see more of them as well - a performance DVD would be nice.I was also very impressed that this DVD includes a performance by a "mature" dancer, Elsa Leandros, but disappointed in that this is the only performance that I'm disappointed with. Elsa does a medieval style routine to Jehan's Metal Mix music in a costume that simulates chain maille. I get the intent and the energy, but her dancing looks somewhat awkward and as if not a lot of thought went into the choreography. The props are a bit too large and the routine would have been a great one for sword instead. The length of the skirt in the costume is also at fault. The knee-high gladiator sandals under a mid-calf-length skirt detract seem to draw the eye downward and away from the hip and belly movement. The skirt is an odd length and snug fit and not at all flattering to the dancer. In fact, I don't think that it would look good on anybody. A longer, fuller skirt or even Melodia pants under the skirt would have made a significant difference - or maybe even just getting rid of the sandals.Neon's first track left me wondering, "What the hell was that?" but as always, her unique style and energy prevail. Instead of music, Neon is dancing to a poetic spoken piece with music in the background. She calls this a photo-novel, I believe. There is a part with some fast moving still photos with balloon quotes. You have to pause and move through these slowly to read them, which you should to make the rest of it make a bit more sense. I don't think I've ever seen this done before and had to watch it a second time to appreciate it. Her second piece is that typical snakelike snappy Neon energy and of course, another one of her unique costumes.The majority of the remaining performances are closer to traditional and tribal bellydance and I can't find fault with any of them. I'm blown away by Ariellah, so much so that I plan to buy her instructional DVD as soon as I can. Sarah Skinner and Bellyessence's piece didn't seem to "fit" at first but the more I watch it, the more I understand and appreciate it. I'm impressed that this DVD attempted to include a mix of ages and body types of dancers. The beautiful Isis is amazing, and I love Tempest because she has my body type. We're pretty straight up and down - no amound of weight gain gives us hips and no amount of weight loss will shrink our waists. The costume in her first performance is gorgeous and the skirt has the necessary layers and draping around the hips to help us cheat a bit.I enjoyed all of the performances and the DVD makes me want to see more of these dancers. Most of them are new to me. Unlike others I've purchased, this one lacks dancer bios - although it does list their websites - and I would have appreciated them. The DVD includes more than twenty performances, so even if a few aren't quite your pair of zills there's still plenty to enjoy. If I like it this much after the first few viewings, I'm sure that I will enjoy it even more as time goes on.The performances include almost all of the props as well - candles, wings, sword and even a snake! There's lots of creative use of fabric, including a hooded cape, and the music, including a few selections by Jehan, is incredible. I'm a strong advocate for artistic creativity and artists who are not afraid to step outside of the box, and I'm giving it five stars.